Some of the Analysis Behind RAND’s “Inflection Point” Report
Speaker: David Ochmanek (RAND) Date: 22 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Modern threats from developed nations like China are beginning to exceed US capabilities, partly because the US military was predominantly focused on regional adversaries such as Iraq during Desert Storm. Mr. Ochmanek categorized the US approach to military power projection during this period as […]
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Arms Control Opportunities in the Emerging Two-nuclear-peer Environment
Speaker: Amy Woolf (Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security) Date: 14 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Ms. Amy Woolf (Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security) as part of its SMA “Strategic Deterrence Frameworks” (SDF) Speaker Series. The proliferation of nuclear weapons is increasingly critical to international security, […]
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Critical Minerals Geopolitics and Security
Speakers: Dr. Morgan Bazilian (Colorado School of Mines) & Gregory Wischer (Dei Gratia Minerals) Date: 16 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Minerals are crucial components of advanced weapons systems, playing a pivotal role in military capability and power projection. They are increasingly integrated into new attack platforms, including Virginia-class attack submarines and long-range missiles. Militaries […]
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A Hotter and Drier Future Ahead – An Assessment of Climate Change in U.S. Central Command
Speakers: Dr. Michelle Miro, Dr. Flannery Dolan, Karen Sudkamp, & Jeffrey Martini (RAND) Date: 9 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Climate-related stressors present significant risks to future stability in countries worldwide, affecting all US Combatant Commands. The research team from RAND focused on assessing climate change risks to USCENTCOM in their latest report, employing data […]
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Responses Against China’s Coercion in the Indo-Pacific: Developing a Toolkit from the Philippines and Taiwan
Speakers: Thomas J. Shattuck (Perry World House) & Robin Michael U. Garcia (Perry World House, WR Advisory Group) Date: 24 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary China has escalated its aggressive and coercive tactics against smaller and less powerful states as part of its objective to become a regional hegemony. Major targets of Chinese aggression since […]
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The Qualities that Make Nations Competitive: Chinese and Russian Views
Speakers: Dr. Timothy Heath, Dr. Michael Mazarr, Clint Reach (RAND) Date: 23 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary A significant portion of the current literature exploring Great Power Competition (GPC) among the United States, China, and Russia predominantly reflects a Western perspective. However, a research group from RAND is seeking to provide a more comprehensive understanding […]
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Assessing the Evolving Russian Nuclear Threat
Speakers: Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Nicholas Lokker, and Heli Hautala (Center for a New American Security) and Michael Kofman (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) Date: 17 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Nicholas Lokker, and Heli Hautala (Center for a New American Security), and Michael Kofman (Carnegie Endowment […]
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The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
Speaker: Shannon K. O’Neill (Council on Foreign Relations) Date: 16 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary Dr. O’Neil offers a reframed perspective on economic globalization, highlighting the prominence of increased interregional trade rather than international trade. She comments that, with a few notable exceptions like Boeing, the movement of goods and products has predominantly remained regional […]
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The Sanctions Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Speaker: Christine Abely (New England Law | Boston) Date: 9 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary The sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its past aggressive actions, such as the annexation of Crimea, targeted actors directly involved in its aggression. However, the current sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have a much […]
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A Climate of Insecurity? Exploring the Nexus of Climate Change and National Security
Speaker: Dr. Samuel Henkin (NSI, Inc.) Date: 4 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary The rapidly evolving global climate system is undergoing changes at an unprecedented rate, placing significant strains on governments and communities worldwide. Dr. Henkin underscored that climate change functions as a threat multiplier, intensifying existing social, political, and economic tensions. The concept of […]
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